Dave Gilmour

David Gilmour

is best known as guitarist, vocalist and writer with Pink Floyd, but is also increasingly renowned for his solo work: his highly acclaimed 2006 album, On An Island was Number 1 in the UK and achieved Top Tens in many countries. In September 2014 Pink Floyd released The Endless River and Gilmour confirmed that it would be the band’s final album: it topped the charts in over 20 countries. His new album will be his fourth.

David Gilmour and Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett met as children in Cambridge and later began playing guitar together. In 1965 Syd joined Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason to form Pink Floyd, while David continued playing with a succession of his own bands. In 1968 David was asked to augment the Pink Floyd line up as the singer and guitarist, only for Syd to leave the group five gigs later.

David’s guitar playing and song writing became major factors of Pink Floyd’s worldwide success during the 1970s, including his distinctive vocals and guitar playing on The Dark Side Of The Moon, the third most successful album of all time.

In 1978, David released his first solo album, which charted in the UK and the US. His second solo album, About Face, was released in 1984, again hitting the Top 20 in the UK.

David assumed control of Pink Floyd in 1985, after Roger Waters’ departure, creating the new Floyd album A Momentary Lapse Of Reason with Richard Wright and Nick Mason. It was followed in 1994 by The Division Bell, which contained the instrumental Marooned, composed by David and Richard Wright, for which Pink Floyd won their sole Grammy Award. Both albums charted at Number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic and were supported by sell-out world tours. Live album and video, P.U.L.S.E., followed in 1995.

In 1996, Pink Floyd were inducted into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, followed by the same honour in the UK in November 2005. In 2002, following a concert for Robert Wyatt’s Meltdown Festival, three semi-acoustic concerts were performed by David Gilmour and friends at London’s Royal Festival Hall, released on DVD as David Gilmour In Concert.

Gilmour is one of the all-time guitar greats, with an instinctive and distinctive sound; he was voted ‘Best Fender Guitar Player Ever’ in a poll in Guitarist magazine, beating such greats as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. In 2005, David was made a CBE for services to music.

In July 2005, Pink Floyd reunited with Roger Waters for a one-off performance at Live 8 in London’s Hyde Park, which was regarded by many as the highlight of an astonishing show.

On 6 March 2006, David released his third solo album, On An Island, which entered the UK Charts at Number 1, subsequently hitting the top position in the pan-European Charts, as well as hitting multi-Platinum around the world.

On An Island was accompanied by tour dates in the US and Europe, including a one-off performance in Gdańsk’s historic dockyards, with a 40-piece orchestra. David’s live show at London’s Royal Albert Hall was filmed and released in 2007 as a DVD, entitled Remember That Night – Live At The Royal Albert Hall.

In May 2008, David was awarded an ‘Ivor’ for Lifetime Achievement by the British Association of Composers and Songwriters. In September 2008, Fender Guitars made available their David Gilmour Signature Black Strat model, in ‘Relic’ and ‘New Old Stock’ models. September 2008 also saw the release of Live In Gdańsk, David’s live album from the outdoor show there.

In 2009, David was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from East Anglia’s Ruskin University of Cambridge and Chelmsford for his outstanding contribution to music as a writer, performer and innovator. In 2010, David gave a performance with Roger Waters in aid of the HOPING Foundation charity in Oxfordshire, UK. Following that appearance, David appeared at one of Roger Waters’ stagings of The Wall at the O2 Arena, London, on 12th May 2011.

In 2010, an album entitled Metallic Spheres, by The Orb featuring David Gilmour, was released to help the cause of UK alleged computer hacker Gary McKinnon, who was then fighting extradition to the US. The album entered the UK charts at Number 12.

During the last two years, David Gilmour has been working on both Pink Floyd’s The Endless River, and his new album, due for release in Autumn 2015. David Gilmour will tour in the UK and Europe during September and October 2015.